Today, July 20, 2019 marks the 50th anniversary of a man walking on the Moon for the first time.  I don’t remember the landing, although I certainly remember the Apollo program and the later landings.  (Tang, anyone?)

I believe it was Jerry Pournelle who said he expected to live to see the first Moon landing but never expected to live to see the last.  I have to agree with him.  There’s talk of going back, but I’m skeptical we’ll do it.  At least I’m skeptical the US will do it within my lifetime, assuming I die of natural causes (formerly known as “old age” on death certificates) rather than an accident of some sort.

However, I’m not writing this post to be cynical.  (Yes, cynical would be an improvement.)  Going to the Moon is a major achievement.  And while I certainly believe that “because it’s there” is sufficient justification for exploring, there are added benefits.  The spin off technology alone has transformed society.  There’s something in the American psyche, and in humanity in general, that can be summed up as a need for frontiers.  It is part of the human condition to explore.

So I want to take a moment to thank Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin, and all those who paved the way before and followed after.  I only hope my children, grandchildren, and their progeny will not only follow in your footsteps but go beyond, to Mars, the asteroids, the moons of the outer planets, the Kuiper belt, and eventually the stars.  Thank you gentlemen for showing us the way forward.

I’m going to work my way through The Eagle Has Landed.  I’ve read about 25% of the stories here previously, maybe more.  Some of the titles are familiar, I’m not sure I’ve read them.

If I post any reviews, they will be over on Futures Past and Present.